Improvement of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell performance and durability through electrode interface design

Abstract

A hydrogen society fill sits energy needs with hydrogen, an eco-friendly energy source, and has recently been of interest. The polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell is a power generation device that could generate energy in a hydrogen society. The membrane-electrode assembly is a crucial component responsible for the output performance and durability of the fuel cells. Since the membrane-electrode assembly has a structure in which various materials are stacked, performance and durability depend on the interface design. In this thesis, we solved the performance improvement at the cathode interface, which had a significant effect on the performance due to the slow reaction and durability problems that occur during operation at the anode through the design of the anode interface. First, a study was conducted to improve in-plane direction mass transfer by introducing a ditch structure into the microporous layer at the interface of the anode’s catalyst layer/microporous layer through laser ablation technique. Next, a study was conducted to maximize catalyst utilization by introducing a hierarchical wrinkle structure into the polymer electrolyte membrane at the catalyst layer/polymer electrolyte membrane interface. Finally, a study was conducted to improve durability by inserting an oxygen evolution reaction catalyst at the electrode interface in the anode when hydrogen was not supplied during fuel cell operation. In conclusion, based on the understanding of each material in the membrane-electrode assembly, the electrode interface design that improves the fuel cell’s performance and durability was studied during the degree period.